


For Glory and King

by CrownedinIvy



Series: Becoming Free [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brotherly Love, CC-2224 | Cody Needs a Break, CC-2224 | Cody Needs a Hug, Clone Trooper Decommissioning (Star Wars), Clones, Force Sensitivity (Star Wars), Force-Sensitive Clone Troopers (Star Wars), Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Original Character(s), Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:47:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28021905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrownedinIvy/pseuds/CrownedinIvy
Summary: Because eugenics' victims and child soldiers are definitely not enslaved. Not at all. The Sky Walkers strongly disagree and will be bringing Jango Fett around to their point of view.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex
Series: Becoming Free [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052489
Comments: 11
Kudos: 119





	1. Obscurity

CC-2224 was a model cadet. All of the instructors said so. CC-2224 was an adequate specimen with no clear defects, the longnecks noted when he was examined before each growth cycle. CC-2224 was waiting for them to realize they’d made a mistake. 

“Keep it quiet, don’t think too much about it and they won’t know,” Alpha-17 told CC-2224 after he’d set a new record on the obstacle course. Alpha-17 had to explain to CC-2224 why he could run the course so fast and why that was dangerous. The clones were made to be good soldiers, not generals and clones like CC-2224 had what made the Jedi the Jedi. Alpha-17 wasn’t sure what it was called, but that if the longnecks knew about it the clone was decommissioned. It had even happened to one of the Nulls or so CC-2224 had heard.

CC-2224 wasn’t afraid, but he didn’t want to be decommissioned, so he listened to Alpha-17 and tried to learn to shut down all emotions like the Alpha-23 said.

\---------------

CC-2224 started having dreams of dead brothers, of men who flew without jetpacks or wings, of a man with red hair and a blue lightsaber. They were terrible and scary, but they were also beautiful. 

CC-2224 had other dreams as well; CC-2224 always knew when a brother was going to be decommissioned. More than once he’d tried to save them; it never worked. CC-2224 thought he might hate himself for that. 

\---------

CC-2224 had just had his fourth growth cycle when the prime came back to instruct the Alphas and unintentionally passed on Mandalorian culture to the clones. It was kept quiet, but the Prime and his cohort kept sharing bits about the galaxy and nothing was quite as efficient as the clones’, or the Vode as they’d started calling themselves, gossip chain. 

And things were better when Prime was on-planet. For some reason the longnecks didn’t run as many assessments and the decommissioning stopped. The alphas had noted it last time, but now the Vode were sure. When Prime was on world things were safe. Also apparently other beings in the galaxy had names, so the Vode started naming each other. CC-2224 was trying to avoid that because when he was decommissioned it would be harder on his squad. 

\-------- 

CC-2224 wasn’t sure how he’d ended up as part of the Vode’s leadership, but he had and it was awful. Other CC’s deferred to him and Alpha’s actually listened to him and it was just so hard to make the right choice all the time. Especially cause no one but Alpha-17 and Alpha-23 knew that CC-2224 had the force. And it just kept getting worse for  CC-2224.

He’d just been assigned a training squad of CT’s and CC-2224 was absolutely certain that one of those adorable ad’ikas was able to touch CC-2224’s mind. He’d sent a prayer to the Force or Manda or whatever it was that was listening, that it wasn’t the blonde one. 

\-------

Of course it was the little blonde vod! CC-2224 could not have anything easy in his life. It was hard enough for him to pass as it was, but CT-7567 was already tagged as a mutant and was going to be held under more scrutiny. Keeping the little vod alive was going to be a challenge. 

\-------

“Please 23, I keep seeing the longnecks dragging you off. Please you have to stop!”

“I have to stop what CC?” 

“I don’t know, but it’s not worth it. We need you!”

“I’m saving your ungrateful life, cadet! I’m saving all of us,”

\------

Another growth cycle had come and gone and CC-2224 had come to love his vodika, Rex/CT-7567. Alpha-17 had come back from training with the Prime and had been passing out names to the CT’s who’d started training like candy from the one trainer that took some of the vod back to his room. 

Apparently the Prime had caught the Alpha’s discussing Wolffe and Fox’s ridiculous little rivalry and laughed at the names. He’d sent the Alpha’s a list of more “normal and less ludacris” names for the next batch of brothers. 

CC-2224 was a little jealous to be honest, but he had never told Alpha-17 about CT-7567’s ability to touch minds, so Alpha-17 had assumed he was just another little vod that CC-2224 was particularly attached to. Had he confided in Alpha-17, Rex’ika wouldn’t have a name like CC-2224. Clones destined for decommissioning didn’t need names afterall. 

\-------

Alpha-23 had been decommissioned. CC-2224’s was alone with a vod’ika who was going to lose control. CC-2224 had never been more afraid. Alpha-23 had been decommissioned. 

\--------

The news of Alpha-23’s decommissioning spread like wildfire through the ranks of the vode. CC-2224 didn’t have an exact number of how many vode there were, but he knew they were increasing exponentially with each new batch. Unfortunately, CC-2224 apparently had a mutation that left him as the only non-gossip of his brothers, and since Alpha-23 was the only Alpha to get decommissioned everyone had an opinion. And opinions led to theories and well, CC-2224’s squad had gotten weirdly possessive of him lately. To the extent that Wolffe had followed him to the bathroom at 0318--Wolffe was very protective of their sleep cycle time. 

The opposite was true of Alpha-17. Before they’d taken Alpha-23, Wolffe and Fox and Ponds liked to joke that he’d adopted CC-2224 given how their Alpha spoiled CC-2224. Of course they were Vode and spoiling was something that probably looked like torture, given that two of the instructors asked CC-2224 if they needed to reassign Alpha-17 to another squad. Now though, when Alpha-17 saw CC-2224 enter the mess, he got up and left without a word. CC-2224 was trying not to take it personally. 

\------

“We know about the Jettii osik, Vod,” Wolffe said and CC-2224 forgot how to breathe. 

“It’s, it’s okay we’ve got you,” Fox said and Ponds nodded. “We just wanted to let you know that when you decide to run, we’ll back you.” 

“Go where?” CC-2224 asked a little hysterically. “Even if I made it off the Island, I can’t pilot a ship by myself. And then where in the galaxy could a rapidly aging kid hide?”

“We don’t know, but Alpha-17 might.”

\----------

“No.”

“Alpha-17, it’s really important, because if they caught--”

“I know, Wolffe, I’m not giving up on them yet. I just can’t”

\---------

CC-2224 woke up in a cold sweat with a single thought ringing in his head.  _ Damn it, Fox is right. Rex is in danger and we have to leave. _


	2. Recognition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin believes in Aggressive Negotiations and Obi Wan Kenobi. Jango Fett decides that he's not okay with being a monster.

Rex was excited because they were finally going to see his mind-friend. CC-2224 said he needed to make up a new name, but Rex liked what he picked, though his mind-friend called himself a Guide and a Sky Walker. CC-2224 also didn’t think he was real. 

CC-2224 thought a lot of things that weren’t true though. Like how he thought he shouldn’t have a name, and that the Winds that connected them were bad. CC-2224 was wrong, but Rex knew it was cause his brother was scared and had been listening to the long necks for too long. 

Now they were off Kamino, snuck off on a trash ship by CC-2224’s squad and Alpha 17, Rex knew things would be okay. They just had to find his friend. 

* * *

CC-2224 had no idea what they needed to do next; the barge had just dropped its contents on a wasted Outer Rim planet that had 2 outpost stations. Outpost stations manned by droids, because nobody in their right mind intentionally went to a trash planet. CC-2224 was most definitely not in his right mind, but he blamed the Force. Alpha-17 had found out what made Jedi, just in time for CC-2224 to leave. 

Rex’ika was still excited to go meet his “mind-friend” but CC-2224 was doubtful they’d be able to find whatever force user it was who spent time talking to Rex in his dreams. And CC-2224 wasn’t sure they should anyways; who knew why this person was so interested in Rex? There’d been an instructor who’d pick one or two of the littlest vod and trick them into coming back to his room for sweets before he did something Wrong. CC-2224 knew about it and had been one of the vode who’d participated in said instructor’s disappearance. 

“24?” Rex’ika was speaking and CC-2224 really needed to find his breath and come up with a plan.

“Yes, Vod’ika?”

“I know you’re scared, but I can be brave for you if you can be smart for me?”

CC-2224 felt his heart melt as his little brother brushed against his mind offering faith and strength and gently pushing the doubt away. CC-2224 offered back his knowledge and just enough of his frea to instill caution into Rex. Rex nodded. 

“So we’re going to find shelter, and then we can try to find your friend, Vod’ika.” It wasn’t the smartest thing, but really CC-2224 didn’t think he needed to be too worried

* * *

“Really, Obi Wan, can’t you tell us anything?” Bant asked. Obi Wan smiled at his friend, but simply went back to his nerf burger. Garen snorted. 

“Obi’s not gonna share about his super cool mission, but I’m happy to--”

But Garen stopped talking and clutched his head almost in tandem with Bant grabbing hers as the most powerful force presence brushed their minds. Obi Wan knew that if he hadn’t spent so much time learning how to throw up his shields at an instant, he would have been in the same situation. 

Projecting into the force as loudly as possible, Obi Wan spoke.

“Anakin, you must put up shields when you’re around other force users!” 

A moment later the blinding presence receding and Obi Wan felt gentle prodding at the remnants of the training bond he wasn’t supposed to have by the sheepish, but still very angry young man. Obi Wan opened it just enough to allow Anakin to convey his location. 

“What the kriff was that?” Garen asked, gently rubbing his head. 

“Do you remember how my first mission as a knight was to instruct a youngling who was too old to be admitted to the creche? That was my student,” Obi Wan answered as he stood to meet Anakin at the civilian hanger gates.

“Did he have trouble with shielding?” Bant asked and Obi Wan noticed that all the other Jedi in the room had been similarly affected.

“No, he just didn’t see the point.”

* * *

Upon reaching the civilian hanger, Obi Wan was greeted by what appeared to be the entire Jedi Council and about half the Masters currently in the Temple, including Master Qui Gon. Obi Wan smiled at his old master who waved him around so that they could get closer to the entrance. 

“It would appear that the Sky Walkers are with someone important,” Qui Gon whispered and Obi Wan had spent more than enough time with the Maverick to know he was laughing. “And they are demanding to speak with “our Jetii or the ancient troll.’”

Obi Wan had to take a deep breath to keep from laughing himself. For all the Sky Walkers were open with any in their number, Obi Wan had noticed they were very wary of outsiders, particularly outsiders who knew their secrets. Yoda being just such as person had been treated with both deep suspicion and respect. Obi Wan wasn’t quite sure why he wasn’t treated the same, but for some reason over the years he’d trained Anakin and fought along side the Sky Walkers, they’d begun to treat him as part of their tribe or clan or whatever the proper term was. Master Nu was still searching the archives in her free time and Yoda didn’t remember.

“Oh Obi Wan!” Wald, the Rodian boy called. “Ani’s gonna kill the Mand’alor!”

“What?” Obi Wan gasped simultaneously with Master Windu growled. 

“Well, hopefully, not kill,” Koyi said as Obi Wan scanned the three Sky Walkers present. Koyi, the Twi’lek girl-well woman now, Wald, and Arawynne the former ghostling princess were all present. “But he is currently beating the osik out of the demagolka.”

“That’s not why we’re here though,” Arawynne interrupted. Blessed Arawyne, Obi Wan deeply appreciated how there was one single person within the Sky Walkers who knew the importance of information exchange. “We’re here about the fallen Jedi we captured while we were looking for the Mand’alor whose DNA was being used to create an army of child soldiers. We don’t really have the resources to hold a crazy Jedi Master.”

So much information and Obi Wan wasn’t quite sure where to begin deciphering it. Master Windu was grumbling beside him and Quin Gon was bent over laughing as close to hysterically as he would allow himself. 

“Is this Jedi Fallen or crazy?” Obi Wan asked, focusing on what Arawynne had wanted to tell him. 

“We’re not sure, but Ani’s not a hundred percent sure if you can hold falling against him. Apparently his brain is full of holes, and that’s not a metaphor, dude’s literally missing parts of his brain,” Koyi answered. And then the hull of the ship, the Alata Devastanteque--Obi Wan had never been able to get a full appreciation of the Sky Walker’s language--shuddered and some very creative threats of dismemberment could be heard from the loud speaker. 

“Perhaps we address the Mand’alor first?” Obi Wan asked, but all three of the Sky Walkers shook their heads. 

“Anakin’s got it and besides we don’t really want to mix the Jedi Killer with the Jedi.” 

“Jedi Killer?” Master Windu said in that tone that sent all the padawans present scattering and more than a few masters pulled out their lightsabers. Koyi sighed. 

“And who are you exactly?” she asked. 

“Master Windu is the Master of the Order,” Obi Wan said. “Similar to how Anakin is the Guardian of Life for you, Master Windu is supposed to make decisions to protect and lead our Order.”

“You use weird words,” Wald said, but he turned to follow Arawynne and Koyi who were re-entering the ship. 

Entering the Alata Devastanteque, Obi Wan noted quickly what had changed. There were more hooks and stow cupboards in the entry way and a very particular stain on the ceiling that was either blood or the acid paint Kitster used to dump on slave vessels to mark them for the future. Still the layout was the same and Obi Wan walked confidently toward the shielded room Anakin and he had built after Anakin had a nightmare and ripped a hole in the hull of the ship, leading Master Jinn and Windu through the maze of a ship. The three Sky Walkers were standing off to the side, waiting, but battle ready with weapons drawn. Obi Wan punched in his code and the door opened. 

“Master Sifo-Dyas?” Master Qui Gon asked, but the Jedi master just stared into space.

“Can I bring a medical team in here to transport him to our med bay?” Master Windu asked and Koyi nodded. 

“Obi Wan!!” Anakin cried as he rushed around the corner and Obi Wan embraced the boy who should have been his padawan. Anakin’s lip was bleeding, one of his twin braids coming loose from behind his left ear, and from the stiff way he hugged Obi Wan had done some damage to his ribs, but alive and so full of light. 

“Obi Wan,” Anakin whispered,in Obi Wan’s mind. “It’s not yet, but soon you’re going to figure out, if you can still live as just a Jedi and when that happens you’ll be welcome with us.”

* * *

Jango Fett hadn’t had an easy life, but today was definitely going at the top of his worst days in existence list. It might even top Galidraan, which had left him with one good thing--title of Jedi Killer. Today was the day that all other titles fell away from his grasp, save demagolka, which he’d apparently earned 7 years ago when he’d agreed to serve as a template for the Republic’s army.

The Supercommando Codex didn’t prohibit cloning specifically, but Jango knew his father would have opposed it as a way to acquire a child. Jango himself was a foundling and knew how truly little blood relation mattered, but with the way of the galaxy right now adoption was not possible for a bounty hunter. Not legally and that didn’t begin to take into account that Jango was technically dead, by decree of Kryze’s government. So the promise of a child for himself and regular access to children he could teach to be Haat Mando’ad was too enticing to give up. Jango was also supposed to be getting credits for the job, but he didn’t really pay attention beyond making sure his account balance was negative. 

But Jango got ansty staying in one place too long, a true spacer at heart, so he left the boys in the supposedly safe care of the Kaminii who had the legal rights to the boys and traveled taking only Boba. He’d never realized anything was untoward beyond the fact that the boys were getting enough individual attention, until this scruffy teenager with two braids behind his left ear walked up to him and punched him in the throat. 

Through the ensuing tussel a few things were established; first the scruffy teenager was the Guardian of Life for the Sky Walkers-who Jango had thought long extinct. Second the kid had mandokar for days, given that he’d approached a fully armored Mandalorian and decided that the proper hello was a throat punch. And third, the kid strongly objected to the treatment of Jango’s eyayahs and had way more information about them the Jango did. 

That friendly introduction had led to Jango agreeing to get on the monstrosity that the Sky Walkers called a ship and to bring Boba with him. Once on the ship, Jango agreed to a “friendly” spar with the Guardian in exchange for information. Every hit Jango made got him a new piece of intel, every hit the kid made burnt off a little more of the anger he didn’t want to have when they finally arrived at the Kaminii’s trash dump where two of the eyayahs were hiding. Because apparently the Kaminii treated beings with access to the force about as well as the Stewjoni did--Jango wasn’t sure if it was kinder to be given lethal drugs by an uncaring stranger or drowned in a river by your beloved buir.

Upon arriving at the dump, everything that the Guardian had told him knocked the breath from his chest. Because the two boys were so heart breakingly happy and afraid to see them. One looked to be a year shy of Boba’s age, puting him at age 3 given the growth acceleration with blonde hair and apparently that was enough to nearly get him decommissioned. The other shared Jango’s face at age 12, putting him at six years standard, and his eyes made Jango think of that awful first year of slavery he’d endured. 

The older one introduced the younger as Rex, Jango recognizing it as one of the names he’d given Alpha-17 to share with his trainees, but never said his own name. Both boys could do Jedi-ish nonsense, but that didn’t matter to Jango. Jedi were like Mando’ad in one aspect , that being that any sentient could be a Jedi if the swore their code. Neither boy swore the Jedi code and both boys were clearly mandokarla given their escape and work. Boba and Rex were becoming fast friends by wrestling while the older one sat and watched gripping the blaster he’d fashioned out of broken weapons. 

Now they all were finally back on Slave I, named so that Jango could never forget his past. Boba and Rex were sleeping but the other boy was sitting in the doorway still keeping his watch. Jango steeled his nerves and charged into battle. 

“I didn’t catch your name kid,” he said making sure to watch the boy from the corner of his eye, easily avoiding eye contact that had driven him to distraction at that age. 

“No name, just CC-2224, Prime,” the boy answered staring down at his weapon. 

“A good solider isn’t just his serial number, ad,” Jango said. “Your name is how you will know you especially if you choose to follow the Way as an adult and never take off your helmet.”

“But i’m not a good soldier, I’m defective,” the boy whispered. “Defectives don’t need names, it makes it harder on their batchmates when the longnecks decommission them.”

Jango knew the voice, knew those thoughts, even if the words were different than the ones that had followed him back on Concord Dawn, long before Jaster had claimed him as a foundling. And he couldn’t verbalize the hatred he had for them to be coming from the mouth of his ad. 

“You are not defective, ad’ika. You are madokar, through and through. You were scared on Kamino right? Thought you were going to die and wanted to do the best you could for your vode. And when your vod’ika needed you, pulled climbed out of that hell and out him to safety,” Jango said, placing a hand on the boy’s shaking shoulder. 

“I--huh- had help,” the boy gasped, between the not-sobs. 

“And that doesn’t make your accomplishments any less; in fact in makes them greater,” Jango said, weighing one final thing in his mind. “Ad’ika I need you to look at me now.”

The boy looked up and managed to maintain eye contact with Jango’s forehead. 

“Kote, Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad.”

“I, I don’t know what that means,” Kote said.

“I know, Kote, I know. But you will.”

* * *

Epiloogue

“This is a hail for any who would call themselves Haat Mando’ad. The son of your last Mand’alor calls for your aid. This is a call in the First, the Third, and Fourth. I’ve rescue 300 foundlings in need of clans.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sidious: What do you mean Sifo Dyas isn't dead!?!?!?  
> Dooku: Sweats.
> 
> Jango Fett is a true mandalorian and if he had any idea that the clones were dying enmass he'd have straight up slaughtered the Kaminoans. Anakin just gave him the knowledge of what was happening and is happy to help him save the little clones. They don't get all of them, but they get a lot and Jango accidently starts on the path of becoming Mand'alor.
> 
> Stay safe ya'll.


End file.
